Recreational Therapy
by RiddleKitty
Summary: Having been jailed by the Plumbers, a frustrated Dr. Animo finds a way to keep himself occupied.


**Disclaimer:** I own nothing from the show.

* * *

**Recreational Therapy**

Aloysius Animo paced the floor of his new jail cell, one of the hundreds of holding cells in the vast Plumber headquarters.

Such an indignity. Caged once again. To add further insult, not even by that meddlesome brat Tennyson but Tennyson's equally meddlesome grandfather and his intergalactic police force.

How frustrating, having all these self-appointed heroes constantly foiling his plans. _Genius_ plans. Nothing more than dumb luck on their part. It couldn't be anything but. Despite another setback, Animo remained determined. They could hinder him all they wanted but sooner or later they would all kneel before his genius. Or perhaps crawl, slither or scurry, depending on what he chose to mutate them into.

Dr. Animo ceased pacing, his lips breaking into a wide smirk. He raised a fist and clenched it tight.

"Yes," he drawled. "It's only a matter of time! Mark my words, there will be a new world order. And I, Aloysius J. Animo, will be the one to guide it!"

He burst into a long peal of maniacal laughter, quieting only as a nosey Plumber walked by. The orange-skinned man gave the inside of Animo's cell a confused but passing glance.

Animo turned on his booted heel, clasping his hands behind his back. He resumed pacing, this time while making a methodical calculation of any and all possible structural vulnerabilities of his cell. One thing his enemies had continuously and somewhat thankfully underestimated was his knack for escape.

"No prison on Earth—or otherwise—can hold Dr. Animo."

* * *

After four hours, it had become apparent that the specially designed Plumber's holding cells might be the first to challenge Dr. Animo's escape abilities.

His search had taken him high and low, hunting for a weakness in security, though he found none. No panels to hack, no locks to deactivate, no technical vulnerabilities to exploit. Not so much as a loose screw to pry at.

There looked to be no way out.

"Bah!" Animo lowered himself from the top bunk bed and sat down on the one beneath, slumped, chin resting in both hands.

He wouldn't allow himself to give up so soon but the answer of how exactly he was going to break free of incarceration continued to elude him. For the moment. He was a genius, after all. Surely he could devise a way of escape, eventually.

Perhaps something already on the_ inside_ of the cell could aid him in his escape. Grinning, he dropped to his knees and began to search the area. Immediately he shoved his hands into the shadowy space beneath the lower bunk and let out an "Ah!' when they collided with something solid. A medium-sized cardboard box, from the shape and feel. Animo dragged it out and opened it up. A brow quirked behind his red tinted goggles upon inspecting the contents.

Before him lay a wide selection of fabric plush dolls, of all shapes, sizes, and—piquing the doctor's interest most of all—species.

Something left over by the cell's previous occupant, no doubt. Animo lifted a garish pink and purple polka-dotted cat. The inanimate creature's vacant yet blissful stare amused him for a short while. He set it down and removed a yellow and white rabbit, finding much the same whimsical smile forcibly crafted onto the face. His interest rapidly waning, he plucked a bow tie clad seagull from its resting spot at the bottom left corner of the pile. Finally, something without a handcrafted comical expression.

"You look like someone I used to work with," Dr. Animo murmured to the doll, half a smile on his lips. Memories of his daring escape from prison thanks to a faithful member of that particular species resurfaced, causing the smile to become a full one. "Excluding the bow tie." Before he could be reminded of how Tennyson foiled his plans yet again during the incident, he tossed the bird over his shoulder. It hit the floor and squeaked lightly.

Digging deeper into the box, Animo discovered a plastic case well stocked with various colored spools of thread, needles, a pin cushion, a pair of scissors, and a thimble. Whoever occupied the cell before he arrived had quite the hobby. An interesting diversion, but there was nothing of real use to him. Unless...

Contraband, perhaps? Had the former occupant of the cell been clever enough to disguise something within the innocent looking creations?

Dr. Animo grabbed the rabbit and, in one quick motion, tore its head off. He turned it upside down and shook. All that came tumbling out was stuffing. Undeterred in his suspicions, he grabbed the cat and did the same. Nothing but synthetic fluff. He went through the entire box, until he had reduced the colorful critters to numerous shreds and severed limbs.

"Bah!" Animo exclaimed once again, allowing the last bit of stuffed animal to fall from his gloved hand. Sulking in temporary defeat, he seated himself on the lower bunk, elbow on knee and chin in palm once again, slumping more heavily than before with the added weight of his frustration. "I won't stand for this indignity much longer. I'll find a way out. And when I do, it'll be the _end_ of the Plumbers!" Animo shook his fist into the air.

Animo sat in silence and moped for a good three minutes before inspiration struck. He had been staring at the floor, so littered with bits and pieces. Animals, be they so childishly fabricated, were still animals. The urge to _improve_ them gripped him and would not let go.

In a fit of compulsive creative genius, Animo grabbed some needle and thread from the box and took up position in the middle of the strewn, multicolored patches of cloth and limbs. Needle and thread flew. As time passed, Animo's vision began to take shape.

* * *

"Ah! Perfection."

Animo pulled the last bit of thread for his stitch. His creation complete, he set it on the bunk behind him and stepped back to admire it.

Using a fair portion of the blue fabric from what had once been a large teddy bear, a handful of green material from a former cuddly looking lizard, various pieces of other colors for teeth, eyes, mouth and a belly patch—Animo had created a new stuffed creature in the form of a shark-octopus.

Satisfied with his work, he went back to his spot on the floor and began making another bizarre "mutation."

Not long after he'd sewn on the purple creature's third eye, the door to the cell unlocked. Somewhat startled from his concentration, Animo turned to see the annoyingly familiar figure of a black and white suited Plumber in the open doorway.

"All right, Animo, time for—what the heck?!" The man was in mid-step before realizing the floor was covered in stuffed animal body parts and pieces of colorful cloth. His boot came down on a squeaker, causing him to jump slightly and hastily remove it, a bewildered expression on his face.

Still on hands and knees with a half-formed stuffed animal of unknown species in his hands, Animo shot the Plumber a dirty look from behind his goggles. "What's the meaning of this interruption? Can't you see I'm _working?"_

The Plumber raised an incredulous brow after surveying the area and coming to the conclusion that, whatever Animo was doing, it was non-threatening. In his hand he carried a container of food. "Yeah, sure. Uh, anyway. Dinner time." He held the tray out.

Frowning, Animo disregarded the gesture and remained where he was. "You're disturbing my concentration," Animo said, shaking the creature in his hand at the intruding Plumber. "Get out!"

The Plumber stared blankly for a moment. Letting out a sigh, which Animo again disregarded completely, he walked over to the bed. "Okay then, I'll just put it here," he said, placing the tray down, "and you can get it whenever you want. How 'bout that?"

"I don't care," Animo said, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "Just remove yourself from the vicinity already! I can't work under these conditions!"

"Ugh." The Plumber, who wasn't exactly thrilled to be anywhere near Animo in the first place, headed for the door without further conversation. The doors slid shut and locked once again.

"Irritating Plumbers," Animo muttered. "Always sticking their noses into my business!" Animo thrust the needle into his mutant minion at a more aggressive pace. "I'll show them. Just wait!" He reached down for a fourth eye to craft onto his creation.

* * *

Another hour had passed since Animo's stuffed animal mutation spree, totaling five hours of imprisonment within the Plumber's jail. And counting.

His two finished companions sat in the corner, while a third remained in the middle of the floor, merely a head not yet connected to its snake-like body. Taking a moment to rest his brain, Animo went over to the bunk beds and sat down in his usual spot. The container of food drew his attention. The specially made container had sealed in the heat, as it was still warm to the touch. Animo only opened it out of curiosity. He identified the contents as some sort of processed meat and starchy potato-like substance with what appeared to be a cookie on the side for dessert. A small drink had been included. The container for that particular item had kept it cold despite the outer container locking in the heat.

Ignoring all but the drink, Animo grabbed it and popped the cap with one of his clawed fingernails. The taste was unpleasantly artificial and sugary but he downed it anyway.

_"Surely a man of your unequivocal genius isn't giving up so easily?"_

Animo nearly spit out the last of his drink.

The voice had come from somewhere very nearby. So nearby, in fact, he would have sworn it had come from right inside his own head. But such a notion was ludicrous, of course.

"W-who said that?" Animo stood and looked around eagerly.

_"Why, I did, naturally."_

Animo's gaze lowered to the corner, where the stuffed shark-octopus sat. "You?"

_"Indeed. I must say, it's humbling to finally be in the presence of one such as you, Dr. Animo,"_ said the shark-octopus as Animo curiously advanced toward it._ "Word of your daring exploits travels far and wide. How we have longed to witness such reported genius in person."_

"We?"

_"Greetings, Dr. Animo."_

Animo bent down and inspected his multi-eyed creature. "Ah, I see. Well, you're both in luck. I don't seem to going anywhere at the moment." Animo slowly paced the floor in front of his newfound peers. "However," he declared, raising a finger, "I, Dr. Animo, am a man of immeasurable resource. I expect to be free within the next few hours!"

_"So daring,"_ said the multi-eyed creature. _"So confident!"_

_"How could I have ever doubted you?_" said the shark-octopus.

His pointed teeth exposed in a wide grin of satisfaction, Dr. Animo grabbed the cookie off the food tray. He squeezed it in his palm and sprinkled the crumbs on the floor in the opposite corner of the room. Then he went back to the bed, sat down. And waited.

* * *

_"Truly, your cunning knows no bounds."_

_"It's a shame you don't get the recognition you deserve for your brilliance, Dr. Animo."_

"Ah, but the obliteration of the Plumbers will more than make up for it, my friends," Dr. Animo said as he lifted a tiny black ant onto his fingertip.

Dozens of workers were busy carrying away the crumbs on the floor, leaving a trail for Animo to follow that lead to a spot behind the toilet which he had neglected to check beforehand. The ants had gotten in through a small weakness in the wall where several holes had been left unattended. Animo was now busy exploiting those weaknesses whenever the guards weren't keeping a prying eye on him. Which for him, quite fortunately, was often since he wasn't deemed all that big a threat.

The _fools_.

"And when I'm finished with the Plumbers," Animo said, inserting another bit of thread through the eye of his needle, "Ben Tennyson will be next!" His sinister laughter echoed once again within the confines of his cell.


End file.
